Tom Hanks says after 20 years of superhero movies, people are asking: “The point of this movie is what?”
He thinks comic book movies need to focus on storytelling over spectacle
by Sophie Butcher · NMETom Hanks has revealed his opinion on the state of the superhero movie genre and the use of VFX on the big screen.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hanks said of the comic book films made by Marvel Studios and DC: “We’ve been down that road. We’ve had 20 years to explore that kind of thing, and now we’re in an evolution and place where it’s: ‘And the story is what? The theme is what? The point of this movie is what?’”
During the interview, Hanks confirmed that he’s never met with either Kevin Feige or James Gunn to discuss joining the DC or Marvel Cinematic Universes.
He did share some positive feelings towards superhero movies, saying: “There was a period of time, and I felt this way too, where we would see DC and MCU movies in order to see these better versions of ourselves. God, I feel like an X-Man sometimes. I am as confused as Spider-Man. I am as angry as Batman is. I love my country as much as Captain America.”
Hanks also talked about how advancements in visual effects have made comic book movies possible, but shared his concerns about how they can impact storytelling.
He said: “Remember in the 1970s and ’80s they tried to do TV versions of Captain America and Spider Man? Even Batman, the Adam West one. The technology did not exist to make it look like it did in the comic books and now it does.
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“You can do anything at all. You can probably say Christopher Reeve’s Superman was the first one that came close because of the cutting edge of the technology to allow for wire removal. We all believed [a man could fly] when we saw it. It was quite extraordinary.”
He continued: “We are now enjoying the luxury of riches and because you can make anything happen on screen now, we are being brought back to the concept of, ‘OK that’s true but what is the story?’ You can dream Lake Michigan and fill it with cuckoo clocks that form a three-headed dragon that breathes fire and destroys Chicago. You can do that. But to what purpose? What is the story and what is it going to be saying about us?”
The actor’s thoughts on the genre reflect its overall muted success at the box office over the past few years.
2023 saw films like Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels and The Flash flop, whilst 2024’s offerings of Madame Web and Joker: Folie à Deux haven’t fared much better. The comic book movie that’s performed best recently is Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which earned £1.1billion ($1.3billion) globally.
“The industry often says if this works it will work again. But the audience is way ahead of it,” Hanks continued. “They see the familiar and they say, ‘I’ve seen that already. What’s next?’ and it’s not just eye-popping stuff. It’s: ‘What’s the story? Tell me about myself.’ We’re in new territory about that every year it seems.”
Hanks will next be seen in Robert Zemeckis’ time-hopping drama Here, reuniting with his Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright. He’s also the lead in 2022’s A Man Called Otto, which was recently rediscovered by audiences when it topped the Netflix charts.